If you're a homeowner, you've likely been bombarded with telemarketing phone calls in the last year trying to sell you solar. We know, it's extremely frustrating. Sometimes, it's the solar company themselves, other times it's outside sales companies that generate leads for solar companies. On both sides of the spectrum, the phone calls are consistent and aggressive, and the same company will often call you repeatedly - even after you tell them you're not interested.
SunPower by Stellar Solar has never employed these techniques as we have been on the receiving end and know how frustrating it is. Frankly, it has never been a good way for us to find prospects either. We prefer to let our customers find us organically when they are looking for solar panels. We have found that taking the high road, the educational route, has earned us customers that are actually interested in installing solar, and don't feel like they have been forced or coerced into it.
The problem with these telemarketing practices and the aggressiveness with which they are pursued is that it waters down the true value of solar. When homeowners are constantly bombarded with unwanted calls that echo the same false promises of "free solar panels", it changes their view of the industry as a whole, as the desperation and pushiness of cold-callers indicate that they are selling some kind of scam, snake-oil.
Combine these aggressive marketing practices with the many horror stories online of people who have burned by solar companies, either by bad installations or shady sales tactics, and public trust in the solar energy industry has become widely eroded. This is unfortunate as many homeowners who could actually save a lot of money in the long run if they went solar with a good company, are deciding to not go solar at all, as their perception of the industry has been so badly dampened.
Some of the telemarketing tactics to look out for are:
What you should know is that the government is not calling people or sending out agents to assist homeowners in going solar. Anyone who claims that they're calling with the state or Federal Government to inform you about government solar programs is a con artist. They should be condemned, and reported.
Here's what you can do to get these companies to stop calling you.
So if you're being harrassed by solar cold callers and continue to get unwanted calls by the same few companies after telling them repeatedly to stop, you can take these few steps to protect yourself and others from the continued abuse. Companies that practice this technique should be reprimanded, as these techniques erode public trust in solar installers companies and the solar panels industry in general.
Michael is one of the founding partners of SunPower by Stellar Solar. In 2001, he helped launch The Home Depot’s national solar energy program which is now offering home solar through hundreds of stores in nearly a dozen states. He is a writer and marketing professional with over 30 years’ experience in the fields of energy, market intelligence and leadership training. He currently serves as treasurer and board member of Global Energy Network Institute (GENI), a San Diego-based non-governmental organization that advocates linking renewable energy resources around the world using electricity transmission.
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